1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to floor cleaners. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to sweepers with dust cloths for cleaning hard surfaces such as bare floors. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a bare floor vacuum cleaner incorporating a dusting cloth for capturing small dust-sized particles not removed by vacuuming. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a rechargeable battery-powered vacuum cleaner incorporating a dusting cloth. In yet another of its aspects, the invention relates to a sweeper incorporating an indefinite length dusting cloth that for ease of replacement of used dusting cloth portions. In yet another of its aspects, the invention relates to a sweeper incorporating an easily mounted and demounted dusting cloth for capturing small dust-sized particles not removed by the sweeper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vacuum sweepers are ubiquitous for cleaning smooth surfaces, such as flooring, found in homes, offices, and other establishments. One example of such a device is a cordless sweeper manufactured and sold by BISSELL Inc. under the trademark GOVAC. Such a device typically includes a housing for movement across a surface to be cleaned, a brush centered in an inlet nozzle and rotated by an electric motor, and a rechargeable battery pack. A vacuum motor and fan assembly is affixed to the housing and fluidly communicates with the inlet nozzle and a dirt cup having a removable filter. As the fan assembly is turned by the vacuum motor, air is pulled through the sweeper from the nozzle into the dirt cup, through the filter and the fan assembly, and out of the sweeper through exhaust vents.
Vacuuming frequently fails to completely remove minute particles which cling to the surface under the influence of static electricity. The typical vacuum sweeper can remove large particles; removal of small dust-like particles will necessitate a separate cleaning operation.
Dust mops, and sweepers utilizing disposable cloths, can be effective in removing small dust particles from the surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,855 to Nash, issued Aug. 6, 1963, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,046 to Kingry et al., issued Oct. 23, 2001, disclose a cleaning implement comprising a panel-shaped head with an attached handle and a removable cleaning cloth. An example of such a cleaning cloth is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,397 to Chizuno. A resilient foam pad may be bonded to the head to provide a cushioned surface against which the cleaning cloth is supported. The cleaning cloths can be either dry or wet. Dry cloths use an electrostatic charge to attract small particles which are retained in a web of specially-designed fibers for later disposal with the cloth. Wet cloths perform a similar function, but are impregnated with proprietary floor cleaners and polishers. Such devices are effective in removing dust particles, but are generally of limited effectiveness as the size of the particle increases. Thus, in order to completely clean the surface, two cleaning operations, vacuuming and dusting, must be performed.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,491 to Hwang et al. discloses a cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner that incorporates a mop to mop a bare floor after vacuuming.
It would be advantageous to combine the removal of large dust and debris particles from a surface through a vacuuming or sweeping operation with the removal of small, dust-sized particles in a single cleaning operation, thus improving cleaning performance and facilitating the cleaning operation.